Then came Fabregas the false 9, the deceiving focal point upon which Spain’s Euro 2012 triumph was forged. Football was forever changed by the 4-6-0 formation in which brain passed its way through brawn.

A return to England gave birth to Fabregas the deep-lying schemer. The yard lost in his legs was more than balanced out by the second, or rather minute, he’d gained in his head.

His first campaign with Chelsea, in which he contributed 18 assists, remains one of the finest displays across a season by a Premier League midfielder.

Now there’s Fabregas the fireman, parachuted into the French Riviera by his former team-mate Thierry Henry to save Monaco from relegation.

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